1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to router guides used in woodworking for guiding a router in making a groove in a piece of wood. Specifically, it is a router guide which allows the user to cut grooves such as dadoes of different widths with a single router bit.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art shows various types of devices used to make routers easier to use and to help the user to make cuts and grooves in wood. Examples of patents related to the present invention are as follows, and each patent is herein incorporated by reference for the supporting teachings:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,470, is a guide device for cutting a groove. In the device of this invention, a rectilinear guide member comprises a pair of guide members, where the opening width of an opening defined between the guide members is set to be the same as the diameter of a rotary bit of a router. A dado having a width that is the same as the thickness of a board to be used as a shelf is formed by operating the router with a scrap piece of that board inserted between the guide members to get an accurately cut dado.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,431, is a tool for use by a carpenter, used particularly in cabinet construction work, the tool comprising, a guide for a router, wherein the guide is adjustable, the guide being comprised of a pair of parallel guide bars interconnected by transverse extending adjustable bolts for selectively spacing the guide bars apart, and a plurality of transverse extending clamps extending across the guide bars for locating the router position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,216, is a fixture which allows cuts to be made in a board with a hand held router in both a longitudinal and transverse direction of such board. The fixture includes a pair of first members of predetermined length. A pair of second members of shorter predetermined length is secured to a first pair of members such that in an assembled relationship they form a rectangle. At least one T-shaped slot is formed in each of the first pair of members and a notch is formed in at least one of the second pair of members intermediate to the ends thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,389, is a multi-purpose woodworking fixture having a structure for facilitating precision-controlled positioning of a woodworking tool, such as a router, about a wood workpiece for cutting wood-joint cuts, wood molding, or geometric designs. The fixture facilitates making a variety of the common wood-joints including dovetail joints, box joints, dado joints, dovetail-dado joint, rabbet joints, combination rabbet and dado joints, mortise and tenon joints, mortise and mortise joints, biscuit joints, lap joints, cross lap joints, end lap joints, dowel joints, spline joints, tongue and groove joints and stile and rail joints. The fixture features a router carriage, a detachable calibrated router positioning mechanical attachment for positioning the router in the X-direction and Y-directions and which complements the router's adjustment in the Z-direction. The fixture enhances the router's capabilities for controllably working on the workpiece, either in a freehand manner or by using, the calibrated router positioning mechanical attachment, either manually or with an optional motorized means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,875, is a router base and combination router and base for use as a guide in making a dado, rabbet groove, or similar cuts, which has a plurality of peripheral edge segments spaced different distances from the center line of the router bit. The base provides for making one or more cuts of varying distances from a conventional fence without adjusting the fence.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,556, is a router guide comprising, a channeled track with a fixed fence attached at a top surface on a first end and a moveable fence slidably attached between the first end and the second end. The track affixes to one side of the workpiece and a router attached to a circular disk is manually slid between the fences to cut slots in the workpiece. The fences are rotatable to a plurality of angles to the track. A pair of router stops may be attached to the fences to limit the sliding motion of the router.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,052, is a precision router guide for guiding a router in the formation of grooves, slots, steps or other cutaway sections of various widths in a work piece. The precision router guide includes a rectilinear guide member with an integral clamping assembly for securing the guide member to a work piece, and an adjustable template assembly adapted to be slidingly coupled to the guide member. The adjustable template assembly is configured to receive a router base, and provides for the router bit to extend through an opening into engagement with the work piece. The adjustable template assembly also includes two adjustable guide elements and one fixed and one adjustable stop designed to allow adjustable movement between the router base and the template assembly in a direction perpendicular to the guide member, the amount of such movement being determined by the desired width of the cut. Adjustable pointers are provided on the template assembly to enable the groove, slot, step or other cutaway section to be precisely located on the work piece.
The foregoing patents reflect the state of the art of which the applicant is aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent in the examination of the application. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that none of these patents teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, applicant's claimed invention.